Carrying flags and rifles, gun-rights advocates rally in Olympia

Originally published April 21, 2018 at 1:35 pm
Updated April 21, 2018 at 6:11 pm

In the largest gun-rights rally at the Washington state Capitol in years, demonstrators brought American flags and semi-automatic rifles. The event comes a day after a gun-violence prevention group announced it would seek new regulations on rifles in a fall ballot measure.

The Alliance for Gun Responsibility said the initiative would, among other things, raise the purchase age to 21 for semi-automatic weapons — something many at Saturday’s rally view as a violation of the Constitution.

“When it comes to the Second Amendment, I cannot budge,” said Joseph Brumbles, who stood near the Capitol decked out in a dark suit and carrying a pistol-sized version of an AK-47 rifle.

Brumbles, a 35-year-old convenience-store manager, said he intends to run against U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, a Democrat who represents the Olympia-area 10th Congressional District.

The new initiative was also on the mind of Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn. He told the crowd they must stop the measure from getting enough signatures to make the ballot.

Tessa Ashley, a 26-year-old college student who helped organize Saturday’s rally, acknowledged it would be difficult to keep the measure off the ballot.

“There’s not much you can do to stop signatures,” she said.

Ashley began organizing the rally after gun legislation started moving through the Legislature this year, she said. For much of Saturday’s rally, she played host.

The crowd cheered as she introduced speakers, or took a break to browse tents set up at the parking lot in front of the Capitol stairs. A gun-parts manufacturer had set up in one; in another was the Olympia chapter of the motorcycle-advocacy organization known as ABATE.

Some demonstrators showed off their support for the president. Others sported the insignia of the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, groups the Southern Poverty Law Center identifies as extremist anti-government organizations.